


A Mind of its Own

by SpeedOfSnake



Category: Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson
Genre: And he's not happy about it, M/M, No Beta, Pining, Snusmumriken | Snufkin Has Paws and a Tail, he also doesn't understand moomin customs, rated t for tail idk, snufkin is jealous but snorkmaiden is cool, snufkin pov, snufkin's tail is his wingman, so plz lemme know if things are wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:29:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25668982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpeedOfSnake/pseuds/SpeedOfSnake
Summary: When a Mumrik first gets their tail, it takes some time to learn to control it.Snufkin was happy he didn't have to deal with that kind of thing.Or so he thought.
Relationships: Mumintrollet | Moomintroll/Snusmumriken | Snufkin
Comments: 24
Kudos: 220





	1. Don't be Suspicious

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [What A Lovely Ribbon](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19072882) by [DigitalThespian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DigitalThespian/pseuds/DigitalThespian). 



Snufkin had always been a little jealous of the Joxter’s tail. It made climbing trees easier and could be used to grab and knock things over. He was not, however, at all envious of the transparency that came along with it.  
Just by looking at their tail, one could tell a lot about a Mumrik’s mood, and Snufkin found he could tell if the Joxter was feeling mischievous, annoyed, or dejected before he even opened his mouth. Snufkin prided himself on his cool and collected nature and didn’t want a tail ruining that façade. He was relieved when he passed the age where a Mumrik usually grows one, believing his Mymble genes had won.  
That belief, he found one fateful winter, was unfortunately wrong.

At first, he thought it was some sort of fungal growth and decided to get it checked out in the next village he passed if it didn’t heal by then. But by the time he reached said village, he could tell it was the beginnings of a tail.

It took about two months to grow and made for a very uncomfortable winter. He had to sleep on his stomach which made his back ache during the day. It was very tender while it was growing. At one point it got too long to hide in his pants, so he let it out while walking in the forest. But having just grown it, he had no control over it, and it lashed this way and that. Every day he’d have to spend time picking burrs out of it. He knew his irritation with it was probably making it worse, but he couldn’t help it.

Eventually it stopped growing and he could hide it under his clothes without it hurting. He had about two weeks until he’d be back in Moominvalley and was really hoping he’d get it under control by then. Typically, it would take a Mumrik a month or two to get the hang of it, but he was hoping that, as he was older, it would take him less time. Unfortunately, after spending two weeks’ worth of evenings glaring at his tail, willing it to stand still, he had no better control over it. He resolved to hide his tail until he got the hang of it. He didn’t know how Moomin would react if he realized how happy Snufkin was to see him every time. Well… he’d probably be happy at first, then he’d get suspicious. Snufkin wasn’t letting all the hard work he’d done to conceal his feelings go to waste.

Playing the harmonica was always relaxing. He made sure his spring tune was extra calming, to make up for his muddle of a winter.

“Snufkin!” Moomin called from the bridge.  
Snufkin felt his tail perk up in excitement and almost played a wrong note. _Don’t get annoyed _. He told himself.  
“Moomintroll,” he leaned on the bridge casually. He made sure he was facing Moomin. He wasn’t sure how obvious his tail was from the back.  
“How was your winter?” Moomin asked.  
“It was fine.” Snufkin frowned, thinking about how he wasn’t able to travel as far as usual.  
“Did something happen?” Moomin’s eyes shined with worry.  
“Oh, well,” Snufkin tried to think of an excuse. “I got a little sick, so I couldn’t travel as far.”  
“Oh no, did you find a doctor?”  
“No, no, it wasn’t that bad. I just had to sleep more. Let me tell you about what I saw,” Snufkin said, eager to change the topic.  
He could feel his tail twitching in delight to the things Moomin said and was glad it was under cover. Eventually, Moomin went for dinner and Snufkin set up his tent, confident that Moomin suspected nothing.__

***

He didn’t let his tail interfere with his time spent with friend but he made sure to lag behind them when they were going on adventures and tried his best to stay calm. The went on a hike one day and found a cave. They yelled things into the cave and delighted when it yelled them back. Until they yelled too hard and triggered some collapse. They all clambered out just in time, laughing at the near miss.

“Snufkin!” Little My yelled suddenly. “You have a tail?”  
Snufkin froze in his laughter and peeked behind him. Sure enough, his tail was out. “So I do.”  
Everyone was staring at him now. Stay calm.  
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Little My demanded.  
“It’s new, so I don’t have much control over it right now.” As if to prove his point, it whipped back and forth, irritated. He watched Little My’s eyes follow it hungrily. “Don’t even think about it.”  
Little My just laughed.  
“Wasn’t it uncomfortable?” Moomin asked.  
“It’s not that bad,” Snufkin replied.  
“You shouldn’t keep it hidden, it’s not good for you!”  
“Alright,” Snufkin relented, knowing his friends wouldn’t let him get away with hiding it.

At first, it seemed that nobody could take their eyes off his tail, which swished erratically under the pressure. But eventually it became normal and everyone ignored it. Everyone except Little My, who enjoyed putting things near it so she could laugh at him when he knocked them over. He didn’t mind too much.

***

Snufkin and Moomin were spending a typical spring evening on the bridge. Snufkin was fishing, while Moomin told him about a funny dream he had. His tail lay dormant behind him.  
“I’m going to visit Snorkmaiden before it gets dark, so I can give her this,” Moomin showed Snufkin a carved wooden heart.  
“Oh, very nice,” Snufkin said neutrally.  
“You think so? I made it myself!” Moomin beamed. “Oh, but don’t you think it’s wonderful?”  
Moomin continued talking but Snufkin wasn’t listening. He was too busy trying to tamper down his jealousy. _Keep calm _. He told himself. _You’re used to this _.  
“And I was so surprised that- Oh. Am I bothering you?” Moomin asked suddenly.  
Snufkin was confused by the sudden change, until he saw that Moomin was looking at his tail, which was swishing violently.  
“I can leave, if you’d prefer being alone,” Moomin tried and failed to keep the dejected note out of his voice.  
“No!” Snufkin said, a little too loud. He didn’t want Moomin to leave, if he left, he’d go to Snorkmaiden. He’d much rather Moomin be with him. “I want you here, just, some silence would be nice for now.”  
“Oh, of course.” Moomin relaxed.  
Snufkin actually didn’t want silence but he couldn’t think of another coverup for his jealousy. He let the sound of the water and the crickets soothe him and his tail. After what he deemed a reasonable amount of time had passed, he decided to talk.  
“Where did you get the wood for that?” It wasn’t the best conversation starter but it was all he had. Luckily, it turned out that Moomin had a good story for his quest for the perfect wood.____

_____ _

_____ _

“The sun is setting,” Moomin stood up suddenly. “I didn’t realize it was so late!”  
“You’d better get going if you want to give her that,” Snufkin nodded at the heart.  
“I guess so,” Moomin sighed. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow!”  
Snufkin nodded in farewell.

“Um, Snufkin?”  
“Hm?”  
“Do you think you could let me go?”  
Snufkin turned and was greeted with the sight of his tail curled around Moomin’s foot.  
He was mortified. “I am so sorry!” He willed his tail to let go, but nothing happened. He grabbed onto his tail and yanked, trying to disentangle it. It wasn’t cooperating.  
“Snufkin!” Moomin gasped. “Be gentle!”  
Snufkin let go at once. “I’m sorry, did I hurt you?”  
“I’m fine, but the way you’re pulling at your tail must hurt!”  
It did hurt, but Snufkin was willing to go through some pain if it got him out of this mess. “It’s fine.” He started tugging again.  
Moomin knelt down and looked at his foot.  
“Snufkin,” he asked softly. “Would you mind if I…” he gestured his foot.  
Snufkin let go of his tail. “Go ahead.”

Moomin held his tail and pulled very gently. It didn’t move much, but Moomin wasn’t discouraged. “Try to relax,” he said.  
Snufkin almost thought Moomin was talking to his tail. He took a deep breath and let it out.  
Moomin tugged gently in different places and then- he started petting his tail.  
Snufkin almost choked.  
So far the only people who’d touched his tail were himself, when trying to get it to behave, and Little My, who couldn’t resist biting it just once. It had yet to be treated so gently. It was like the feeling of someone scratching his head or raking their fingers down his back. It felt… very nice.  
Too nice.  
Snufkin’s skin was weathered from his travel, rough with callouses and scars from surviving in the wild for so long. But his tail was fresh and new and didn’t have any of that protection, so he was acutely aware of Moomin’s soft hands.  
He gripped his legs, trying to distract himself by digging his claws into his skin. He inhaled and exhaled shakily. It took all his concentration not to start purring.  
He couldn’t take much more of it, while he also never wanted it to end, stuck between launching himself into the river and launching himself into Moomin’s arms.

“There we are,” Moomin said softly. Even though his foot was free he continued casually stroking Snufkin’s tail.  
“Thank you,” Snufkin croaked.  
Moomin was mesmerized by his tail. “It’s so soft.” Moomin raised his eyes to Snufkin’s. Snufkin was close enough that he could see the sunset reflected in Moomin’s eyes.

Without thinking, he started to reach towards Moomin, but his paw knocked something on the way. It was the heart.  
Snufkin immediately broke out of his stupor. “You should get that to Snorkmaiden.”  
Moomin sat up straighter. “Right. Of course.” He grabbed the heart.  
Snufkin quickly turned back to the river.  
Moomin didn’t move for a moment but eventually said “I’ll see you tomorrow.”  
“See you,” Snufkin said casually.  
This time, he left without consequence.

Snufkin waited a minute to make sure Moomin was really gone before he grabbed his tail and held it before his face. “That was too close,” he hissed. “Do not blow this for me.” Het let his tail go before anyone could see how crazy he was acting.

He made no progress in gaining control over his tail that night. His treacherous tail twitched in delight every time he was distracted by the memory of Moomin’s soft hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm referencing that one B99 meme if you couldn't tell.
> 
> Also sorry if I don't reply to comments I'm very shyy
> 
> Please let me know if there are any mistakes!


	2. The Worst Wingman

Snufkin played a lighthearted, slow song to match the mood of the afternoon. It was a beautiful Spring day, perfect for lazing about in a field. Little My was on the hunt for the biggest bug she could find, which she would then chase Sniff around with. Moomin and Snorkmaiden were on the other side of the field, whispering secrets amongst each other. Snufkin didn’t let it bother him. His tail, swishing back and forth, would say otherwise.

The problem with Snorkmaiden was that there was no problem with Snorkmaiden. One could argue that she was vain, but Snufkin couldn’t count how many times she’d gotten them all out of trouble by batting her eyes and saying just the right thing. She was a people person. She could make friends with whoever she wanted and had her choice of romantic interests. He just wished she hadn’t chosen Moomin.

Moomin laughed at something she said and Snufkin felt a pang of jealousy. The feeling soon softened when he saw the joy on Moomin’s face.  
Snufkin put his harmonica away and stared at the sky. The fluffy clouds weren’t a good distraction.

Moomin deserved Snorkmaiden. Moomin deserved love. Moomin deserved flowers and songs and poems and- flowers?  
Curled up in his tail, was a bouquet of flowers. Snufkin took them in his hands. He must have absentmindedly picked them while thinking about Moomin.  
His tail was the worst wingman.

“What are those for?” Moomin appeared out of nowhere.  
Snufkin tensed, almost dropping the flowers. “Uh, a flower crown.”  
“Can I join you?”  
Snufkin nodded and Moomin sat down beside him.

Moomin hummed the song Snufkin was playing earlier, and he finally let the tension leave his shoulders. Snufkin wasn’t as good at making crowns as his friend so he had to subtly watch Moomin’s motions to get a better idea. He noticed some grass in Moomin’s fur. Snufkin’s paws itched with the desire to brush it off. It wouldn’t be a strange thing to do, to simply reach over and dislodge the grass. The only problem was he wasn’t sure he’d be able to resist plunging his hand in. He thought about Moomin’s fur a lot. He’d felt it on many occasions and knew it was incredibly soft but he’d never felt the softest part, the snout. He had been able to hold himself back so far but sometimes it was almost impossible to resist when it was just the two of them and Moomin was dozing off beside him, when what he wanted more than anything else was to take that snout and bury his face-

Snufkin was brought back to reality when Moomin put the crown on his hat. “There you go!”  
“Thank you.” Snufkin’s face reddened as he recalled his train of thought. “I haven’t finished yours yet.”  
“Oh. You’re making one for me?” Moomin asked, delighted.  
I am now. “Well it’s only fair, isn’t it?” Snufkin fiddled with the crown. “I’m sure it won’t be as good as yours.”  
“You can’t even see mine!” Moomin laughed.  
“Yes, well, the crowns you make are very nice.” _Everything about you is very nice. ___

__Snufkin attached the remaining flowers and put the finished crown on Moomin’s head, which proceeded to droop over one of his eyes. “Oh, it’s too big. Let me fix it!” For some reason Snufkin didn’t think to take the crown off as he removed a few pieces and repositioned it. Only when he was finished did he realize how close he was to Moomin. Close enough that if he leaned just a little bit forward, he could finally feel-_ _

__Snufkin stumbled backwards.  
“Are you alright?” Moomin asked.  
“I’m fine,” he pulled his hat down to cover his face.  
“It fits much better, now!” Moomin said. “How does it look?”  
Snufkin peeked out from under his hat. Moomin didn’t look much different than usual of course, but the sight of him wearing something that Snufkin had made, and knowing he had a matching one on his head made his heart feel light and heavy at the same time.  
“Very nice,” he hoped he managed to sound nonchalant. Moomin beamed._ _

__Snufkin took off his hat, deciding he wanted to see the flowers. It was quite a bit nicer than the one he made, although in his defense he had been quite distracted. The colours gently transitioning from one to the next, while the crown Snufkin made was just pink and white.  
“How’s the tail?” Moomin asked. Snufkin’s tail twitched in response.  
“I still can’t control it,” Snufkin muttered, pulling out some grass. “But I will eventually.”  
“Hm,” Moomin examined his tail, making Snufkin feel a little self-conscious, before his eyes lit up. “Could I have it for a moment?”  
“Sure?” Snufkin watched as Moomin took his tail gently in his hands. Snufkin had to look away. The way Moomin held his tail made him feel… too much, and he wasn’t sure he could survive the experience a second time. He continued pulling grass in an attempt to distract himself. He really hoped Moomin couldn’t feel his rapid pulse in his tail._ _

__“What do you think?” Moomin finally let go of his tail which now had a flower crown of its own- or maybe a bracelet would be more accurate.  
“It’s very nice,” Snufkin didn’t know what else to say. “Shall I do one for you?”  
“Oh, would you?” Moomin turned so Snufkin could work more easily. He studied his tail bracelet and realized that they were pink and white. His tail matched Moomin’s crown.  
A pleased flush made its way onto his face and he had to bite his lip to keep himself from smiling._ _

__He squashed his spirits down quickly, as he often had to do when Moomin did things this sweet. _‘Moomin treats all his friends this way’ _, he thought to himself. _‘It’s his nature.’ _  
He took a deep breath and got to work on Moomin’s tail, unable to completely chase the warmth out of his heart._____ _

______“Done.” Snufkin did his best to match the crown Moomin had given him, although he wasn’t able to get all the colors.  
Moomin examined his tail, then Snufkin’s crown.  
“Thank you, Snufkin.” Moomin gaze was soft, but it held Snufkin in place. There was a question in his eyes that Snufkin didn’t know how to answer but was sure if he kept looking, he could find it._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Moomin! I found it!” Snorkmaiden cried.  
Moomin jumped. “O-oh? Really?” He glanced apologetically at Snufkin before rushing over to Snorkmaiden, who was staring at something in the grass._ _ _ _ _ _

______Snufkin deflated. He was reading too much into things. As usual.  
“I didn’t realize you were such a romantic!”  
Snufkin didn’t let himself appear startled. “Hello, Little My.”  
“Wow, you skipped right to being engaged. I’m impressed.” She examined his tail.  
Snufkin pulled his tail away from her, not wanting to get bitten again. “What do you mean?”  
“Having matching bows in your tail,” Little My smirked, “it means you’re engaged.”  
He kept his face neutral, but his tail perked up in delight. Little My snickered at the sight.  
“They don’t match.”  
“They match your crowns. You can’t say that wasn’t on purpose.” She sauntered off.  
Snufkin lay on the grass and pulled his hat over his face. Snufkin had definitely done it on purpose, but pink and white could have been an accident. That might have explained the long look Moomin gave him after. Snufkin hadn’t known about this tradition and if Moomin asked, he’d just tell him so.  
…and if Moomin had done it on purpose?  
Snufkin grabbed his tail before it could do anything else embarrassing._ _ _ _ _ _

______Dark clouds soon covered the sky and the group decided to return home so they wouldn’t be caught in the rain.  
“What’s in the jar?” Little My asked.  
Snorkmaiden was carrying a big jar with some dirt and leaves. “It’s just a bug.”  
A bug? It seemed a little out of character for her. Snufkin decided he wanted a peek too.  
“Why do you have a bug?” Little My asked.  
“None of your business.” Snorkmaiden flushed. That was quite a strange reaction. Maybe Snufkin didn’t want to know after all. _ _ _ _ _ _

______Snufkin declined Moomin’s offer to stay for dinner. He really needed some alone time.  
He had a simple fish dinner before retiring into his tent for the evening. He lay down and stared at the flowers around his tail, indulging in the fantasy that they meant something more than they did, until he fell asleep._ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I caught a Snfukin in this chapter but who knows if there are more hidden somewhere...
> 
> I'm thinking about the anime episode where they get Snorkmaiden to talk to Thingumy and Bob because she's so nice. I like her in the 2019 series but I think they make her a little tooo obsessed with her looks sometimes.
> 
> On an unrelated note, does anyone know where I can read the comics? All the excerpts I've seen are amazing


	3. Getting Attached

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i keep accidentally pasting the whole chapter in the summary rip

Snufkin was tired of his tail.  
Tired of waking up to see it pathetically wrapped around a pillow it believed to be Moomin.  
Tired of yanking it away so it couldn’t latch onto him again.  
Tired of it perking up every time he thought about him.  
He bet if given a pen and paper, it would start writing sonnets.

On the bright side, he was starting to be able to control it. Only when he was completely relaxed and alone in his tent, but it was a start.

“Do you think you’ll be able to fish with your tail?” Moomin was sat down beside Snufkin, who was fishing on the bridge. “When you have control of it?”  
Snufkin frowned. “You mean as bait?”  
“No, no! I meant your tail could hold the rod.”  
“Maybe, but I’d still need my hands to reel in the line.”  
“Oh, right.”

Snufkin felt the wood creak as someone else walked onto the bridge.  
“Good morning!” Snorkmaiden called.  
“Morning!” Moomin replied.  
Snufkin raised a hand to greet her but faltered. “That’s an interesting necklace you have.” The little sea shells on the necklace were expected, but the beetle wings? He supposed that explained the bug in the jar. But Snorkmaiden didn’t seem to be the type to rip wings from insects, much less to make a necklace out of them.  
Snorkmaiden turned yellow with delight. “Oh, I know! Isn’t it lovely!”  
“Yes, very!” Moomin nodded.  
“I have a tea date with Mamma, but I’ll see you later!” Snorkmaiden waved as she stepped off the bridge.  
Moomin continued watching her as she made her way to the house, his head in his hands. “Sure would be nice to get a necklace like that,” he said wistfully. He stared at her a moment longer before suddenly sitting up straight. “Well, I mean, you know,” Moomin explained, flustered.  
Snufkin had no idea what he was talking about. “Right,” he said anyways. The answer seemed to appease Moomin anyways as he soon calmed down.

He leaned back on his paws and stared at the sky.  
“Is that Vi?” Moomin asked. An overhead bird cawed. “Nope, she didn’t sound like that.”  
“Vi?”  
Moomin sat up straight. “Oh! I didn’t tell you! It happened right after you left, before hibernation.” Moomin started telling the story of how they’d come across a bird with a broken wing, separated from their partner and unable to migrate for the winter. They’d had to build it some kind of bird cast before setting off into the rapidly arriving winter to find the bird’s partner.  
He told the story theatrically, winking whenever he obviously overdramatized a part, shooting a tiny arrow into Snufkin's heart. Listening to the story, Snufkin’s heart warmed. He was again reminded of how kind his friend was. It was one of the things he loved the most about Moomin, along with his silliness, and his smile and- well, there was a lot. Snufkin just, really loved him.

“And then they flew off! It was so beautiful I-” Moomin cut off suddenly. “Snufkin?”  
“Hm?” Snufkin hoped his face wasn’t too adoring. Moomin glanced behind him and Snufkin followed his gaze. It was his tail, of course, which was tangled very snugly with Moomin’s.  
Snufkin felt very warm.

Snufkin wanted nothing else than to simply turn away and continue fishing. It felt… right to have it there, and the sight of it made his heart full.  
But Moomin’s reaction meant that it wasn’t normal so Snufkin reached over to untangle them. “Sorry, Moomin.”  
“Snufkin,” Moomin said softly, hesitantly. “I don’t… mind it.”  
Snufkin paused. He didn’t mind? Was he really okay with it? Or did it just mean he was used to his tail’s antics? Moomin probably noticed how flustered Snufkin was, and just pitied him. His heart twisted. “No, I shouldn’t have let this happen.” Snufkin yanked his tail away.  
“Oh,” Moomin said. Snufkin couldn’t read his tone and couldn’t bring himself to look, instead he watched the stream.  
“I just remembered, Mamma asked me to help her with something.” Moomin stood. “Bye.”  
Moomin was already off the bridge before Snufkin let out a weak “Bye” of his own.  
His tail flopped to where Moomin had just been sitting, as if seeking him out.  
Snufkin knew he messed up. He hoped Moomin wasn’t too mad. Whenever Moomin was cross with him, which was very rare, he would always bring it up before long. Snufkin was sure they would have a chat about it and then everything would be fine. Snufkin recast his line. His tail swayed anxiously behind him.

***

Moomin wasn’t _really_ ignoring Snufkin… but he was. Every time Snufkin invited him out to do something, he would often give some excuse like having to help his mother, or not feeling well. Whenever Moomin agreed to do something with Snufkin, he would always drag another one of their friends along, and then spend the whole time talking to them instead.

Snufkin’s latest attempt had him at the door of Moominhouse.  
“Did I do something wrong, Moomin?” he asked after getting rejected yet again. Moomin froze in the doorway. His expression shifted from stunned to sad.  
“Of course not,” he smiled, but his eyes remained sad. “I’m just busy.” He hesitated, before going inside and closing the door with a “see you later”.  
Snufkin knew he was lying. It was all getting very frustrating.

He sat by his tent with his knife and some sticks, whittling them away to get rid of his anger. He didn’t really have a shape in mind and wound up whittling them to the point where he just had a bunch of short sharp sticks. On the 6th stick, his frustration quickly turned to melancholy. He was annoyed that Moomin was avoiding him but above all, he was sad. He missed his friend, a lot, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had done something to cause this distance between them, but he couldn’t figure out what.

There was the possibility that his tail’s behaviour had notified Moomin of his feelings for him. Snufkin accidentally broke the stick in two. He threw the pieces aside and grabbed a new stick. Even if that were the case, Moomin didn’t seem the type to resent him for it. Snufkin sighed, giving up on whittling and instead started carving random designs in the wood. If Moomin knew how he felt, maybe he just needed time to come to terms with it. Snufkin’s heart sat heavy in his chest as he started carving little broken hearts in the wood.

Then something hit him in the head.  
“Quit your moping already,” Little My said.  
Snufkin glared at her and picked up the thing she threw. It was a book.  
“Read the section on Moomins,” she said walking to the bridge. “And while you’re at it, maybe look at the Mumrik section too.”

Snufkin brushed some dirt off the book. _Curious Customs of Curious Creatures _it read.__ Snufkin brought the book to his tent and flipped through some of the pages. As the title suggested, the book discussed various customs and habits of different species, Moomins, Mumriks and Mymbles included. He found the Moomin section and began reading. The first few pages detailed things he already knew, about hibernating and the like. He couldn’t fight his blush when he got to the page about matching bows on tails. Little My hadn’t been lying about them being for engagements. He turned the page and almost froze. There was an illustration of two tails twined together. It was described as an intimate gesture, somewhere between holding hands and kissing. Snufkin put the book down and buried his face in his paws. Moomin definitely knew how he felt. It also explained why entangling their tails had felt so nice to him. And of course, Moomin hadn’t meant for the ring around his tail to match, but probably took Snufkin’s creation for him as a declaration of love.

Snufkin didn’t want to read any more. He wanted to curl up in a ball and lament. But he decided he should learn about what else he could possibly mess up.  
The next page showed a picture of a necklace made with beads and tiny spoons. To gift someone a necklace like this was a clear show of love. If the gift is accepted, it signifies the courtship was a success, or in modern language, the pair would start dating. The necklace was to be made of two things representing the couple.  
This must have been what Snorkmaiden was wearing. The seashells represented her and the bugs… since when did Moomin like bugs?

He flipped to the next page and immediately wanted to skip it. It showed the picture of a carved wooden heart. His stomach twisted at the thought of what it could mean, refusing to read the words. He resisted the temptation to turn the page.  
A carved wooden heart is given to grant luck with one’s romantic endeavors.  
It was a good luck charm? Not a declaration of love?  
So, he had been jumping to conclusions this whole time? Well... how had he been expected to know something like this?  
Then he remembered when Moomin first presented the heart, and how he’d tuned out everything Moomin had said about his gift.  
He felt very foolish.

Was the book right? Moomin gave Snorkmaiden a gift to encourage her to be with someone else? And that someone else gave Snorkmaiden the necklace? He had to find out. He stepped out of his tent and saw Little My sitting on the bridge. He walked up to her nonchalantly. Judging by the knowing look on her face, she wasn’t buying it.  
He leaned on the banister. “Hello again, Littly My.”  
“Hello again,” she greeted.  
After failing to come up with something else to say, he decided to get right into it. “You wouldn’t happen to know if Snorkmaiden is in a relationship?” Snufkin asked casually.  
“Judging by her necklace, I’d say so.”  
“Oh,” Snufkin’s heart sped with anticipation. “And, well, who is it?”  
“We don’t know! She won’t even tell us her name,” Little My huffed. “The only thing we know for sure is that she likes bugs!”  
 _She likes bugs._ She was definitely not Moomin. Snufkin breathed out shakily, not realizing how wound up he’d gotten. “Right. Thanks. Bye now.” He turned back to his tent.  
“Good luck!” she called after him.

***

Snufkin didn’t let himself second guess his plan until he was already knocking on Moominhouse’s door. His hand froze before he could make the third knock. What was he doing? This was a terrible idea. He should just go-

The door opened and Moomin appeared in the doorway. “Oh, hello Snufkin.” He had that same sad look in his eyes.  
“I have to talk to you,” Snufkin blurted out.  
Moomin looked uncomfortable. “Oh, I’m kind of busy now-”  
“Please,” Snufkin said. “It’s important.”  
Moomin met Snufkin’s eyes and looked for a long moment. Eventually he sighed and said, “alright.”  
“Great,” Snufkin turned and started walking to the bridge.  
“Where are we going?” Moomin said once he caught up.  
“Oh, just over there.” Snufkin pointed to the trees. Around Moominhouse was much too open. He didn’t want any spectators.

Snufkin stopped when they reached a small clearing a few minutes into the forest. There was a fallen log, covered in moss and mushrooms to his left and to his right some wildflowers grew. Snufkin thought it was quite a nice area, but maybe it wasn’t romantic enough. Maybe he should find another area, with more flowers? Or maybe the beach would be better- no that’s too open… then a cave?

“Snufkin?” Moomin probed. Snufkin blinked, forced out of his thoughts. He looked at Moomin, who looked concerned, and tired. Snufkin took a deep breath. Better to get it over with.

“I just- I wanted to-” why hadn’t he thought of what he was going to say beforehand? “I want there to be no more misunderstandings between us.” He reached a shaky paw his into pocket. Staring at the ground he held out his paws towards Moomin, holding the necklace he made.

Snufkin’s tail was whipping around like crazy behind him. He felt sick. Every second felt like an eternity.  
What was he doing? He had obviously misunderstood. Moomin said he wanted a necklace but of course he didn’t mean from _Snufkin _.__ What a ridiculous thought. Was it too late to take it back? Gently, the necklace was taken from him. Snufkin’s arms fell to his side. He still refused to look at Moomin, his hat covering his face. He tried to relax by focusing on the sounds of the forest, but all was drowned out by his rapidly beating heart. Why wasn’t Moomin saying anything?

“Snufkin,” Moomin said softly. When he didn’t continue, Snufkin forced himself to look up. Moomin’s eyes were shining. He held the necklace to his chest.  
“Do you… do you really mean this?” he asked.  
Snufkin wasn’t sure he could speak. “Yes,” he forcefully croaked.  
Moomin looked at the necklace in his hands and smiled softly. He undid the clasp and held it out to Snufkin. “Would you put it on me?”  
Snufkin nodded and took the necklace. Moomin turned around. Snufkin looped the necklace around his neck and attempted to work the clasp. His hands were still shaking, adrenaline pumping through his veins.  
“Hold on,” he said, failing to close it the third time. “Sorry.”  
“Take your time.” Moomin said patiently.  
“There,” Snufkin said after the fifth try. He let his fingers linger in the fur on Moomin’s neck. This meant Moomin accepted right? Was it really this simple? Everything would be fine again?  
Moomin turned around and Snufkin froze, paws hanging uselessly in the air. Moomin took Snufkin’s paws in his own.

Moomin's eyes bore into Snufkin's. His face flushed self-consciously. He was overwhelmed. He wanted to run and hide but he was caught by Moomin’s bright blue eyes, so full of emotion. Was it love? Snufkin reddened further at the thought.

Moomin leaned forward a little, his eyes now holding a question. Was he asking if… maybe…?  
Snufkin let his eyes fall shut in response. He was rewarded with the feeling of Moomin’s snout against his nose. He sighed, some tension finally leaving him. It was so much softer than he had imagined. Moomin nuzzled his nose, cheeks, lips- Snufkin couldn’t resist planting a Mumrik kiss. Moomin sighed happily in response.  
Finally, the panic in his chest melted into affection. He was still shaking, but now with giddiness.  
Moomin pulled back and smiled at Snufkin, his gaze was pure adoration. Snufkin couldn’t help smiling back.

He couldn’t take Moomin looking at him like that anymore, so he leaned forward and buried himself in the fur of Moomin’s neck. Moomin laughed in response, holding him close. Snufkin melted into the embrace letting himself purr freely.  
“You know, you didn’t make this easy,” Moomin teased. “You gave me a lot of mixed signals.”  
“Not my fault Moomin courting is so confusing,” Snufkin muttered into his fur.  
Moomin laughed and held tighter.

Snufkin’s tail wound around and found Moomin’s. This time, he happily let them intertwine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent a long time thinking about what should be on the Necklace then I wound up not even describing it lol. It would have been made with fishing line, and Snufkin would have made some fancy bows and knots with it, interspersed with carved stars. Idk what really describes Moomin tho. In the episode in the anime when they all lose something important to them, Moomin looses his knife but idk if knives describe him very well?
> 
> Also sorry I didn’t give Snorkmaiden a real gf, idk who to pair her with.
> 
> I also forgot completely about his tail in the last scene lmao I had to add it in afterwards


End file.
